The Slow Cooker Cookbook

By Ryland Peters & Small

Slow cookers are the answer to all your kitchen problems – save money, time and energy with over 65 delicious recipes for affordable family food.

Slow cookers are an invaluable kitchen gadget when it comes to saving money and time in a busy family schedule. Meals take longer to cook in a slow cooker than an oven, but cost significantly less per hour (just 8p, according to Moneysavingexpert.com). Using just a tenth of the energy of a conventional oven, they can make a big difference to your household energy bills when used regularly. Simply put all the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come home to a tasty family meal at the end of the day.

They have gone in and out of fashion over the years, having first appeared in the 1940s, but slow cookers are having a new surge in popularity due to the recent rises in household bills and food prices. Adding one of these energy-efficient appliances to your kitchen will transform the way you plan your weekly meals. They are great for batch cooking so you'll always have something delicious to eat at the end of a long day and will help to impart maximum flavour to basic ingredients through the slow cooking process, so are perfect for using with cheaper cuts of meat to save on the weekly budget.
 
The Slow Cooker Cookbook has over 65 recipes to suit all your family's needs. From hearty soups, such as Italian Pasta and Bean Soup; light bites, such as Spinach and Ricotta Timbales; succulent meat dishes, such as Vietnamese Beef and Chicken and Lentil Curry; not forgetting irresistible vegetarian dishes, such as Winter Vegetable Tagine and Smoky Bean Hotpot. Slow cookers can be used day or night, and you don't even have to stay in to keep an eye on the pot while you produce deliciously flavourful food for all the family.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ryland Peters & Small
• Release date: Apr 11, 2023
• ISBN: 9781788795470

Book preview

slow cooker know-how

Slow cookers are electrical appliances with a metal outer sleeve containing an element and a ceramic cooking pot, which sits on top of the element with a lid. (They are often referred to as Crock Pots as a generic name, as this is one of the most widely used brands in the USA.) They cook food at relatively low temperatures compared to other popular cooking methods and are very energy-efficient, using up to 80 per cent less energy than conventional ovens. Slow cookers are useful for busy lifestyles – with as little as 15–20 minutes’ preparation time, they can be set up to cook a meal ready for the evening and left on safely while you are out. Slow cookers are designed for moist-heat cooking where moisture in the food condenses on the lid and drops back into the pot, making it a great cooking method for soups and casseroles. In addition, the slow-cooking process can make cheaper cuts of meat tender by cooking them over low heat for several hours, a boon for any cook managing a household budget.

choosing which slow cooker to buy

You can buy around four different sizes of slow cooker, the total capacity and working capacity of which will be printed on the packaging. The working capacity means the maximum space for food.

• For two people, go for a mini cooker with a total capacity of 1.5 litres/quarts, of which the working capacity is 1 litres/quart.

• For four people, pick a cooker with a total capacity of 3–5 litres/quarts, giving you a working capacity of 2.5 litres/quarts.

• For six people, choose a 5-litre/-quart capacity cooker, with a working capacity of 4 litres/quarts.

• For six to eight people, look for a 6.5-litre/-quart capacity cooker, with a working capacity of 4.5 litres/quarts.

• For an average family, the four person capacity cooker should suit well. Only choose the very large model if you intend on making extra to freeze regularly or you have many mouths to feed. In all sizes, you will find round or oval cookers. The oval is most versatile and best for a baking dish, whole chicken or a joint of meat.

caring for a slow cooker

After cooking in your slow cooker, make sure it is completely cool before attempting to clean it. Unplug it from the mains and remove the ceramic pot (this will be removable in most makes of slow cooker). Wipe the base unit with a warm, damp cloth and dry with a kitchen cloth or paper towels. Be mindful of the fact that the cooker has an electrical plug and lead, which should be kept dry at all times.

Wash the ceramic pot and lid in warm soapy water, making sure to remove any pieces of food from the vent in the lid and around the edges. Soaking is an effective way to remove any cooked-on food, but do not leave the cooking pot immersed in the sink; just fill with warm soapy water and let soak until the cooked-on food comes away freely. (Some models feature dishwasher-safe pots, so check your manual.) Pack your slow cooker away only when it is completely cool, clean and thoroughly dry.

TIP

Your slow cooker is an invaluable way to use up leftovers. Odds and ends of vegetables can make a great base for a soup, or add a selection of pulses/legumes and leftover cooked meats for an economical meal.

getting started

It is exciting using a piece of kitchen equipment for the first time. Take your time and don’t rush into cooking anything until you have read the instruction manual thoroughly. It may take a little time to get used to using a slow cooker, as it can be quite different from other cooking methods. After unpacking your new slow cooker, make sure you wash the inner ceramic pot and the lid with warm soapy water. Dry thoroughly. Find a position in your kitchen where the slow cooker will be safe. Make sure the cable can be tucked away and the unit is out of the way of children as the housing may become hot.

When you are deciding what to cook in your slow cooker, choose a recipe that will fit within the capacity of your cooker. Before you start your recipe, make sure that any dishes, bowls or pans you are using fit inside the cooker first. Imagine making a meatloaf and finding the loaf pan does not fit in your slow cooker. If you intend to finish a dish under the grill/broiler, check the instruction manual first to see if you can put the cooking pot under a direct heat source.

How full should the pot be?

Liquids are the most important component when cooking in a slow cooker. There should always be liquid to start the cooking off with. Stews and casseroles generate liquid as they cook because of the water content of the food and the steaming that occurs during cooking time. This means that you could add only 100 ml/scant ½ cup of water, stock or wine and find you have as much as 400 ml/scant 2 cups at the end of the cooking time.

A joint of meat or chicken should not take up any more than three-quarters of the cooking pot, while a pan, baking dish or bowl should have about 2.5 cm/1 inch of space around it with the water coming roughly halfway up the side of the basin. When cooking soups, make sure that the liquid has a clearance of no less than 3 cm/1¼ inches from the top of the pot.

Do I need to preheat the slow cooker?

Refer to your manufacturer’s instruction manual, as some recommend a preheating time and others recommend switching the slow cooker to the desired setting only when it is filled with food.

Cooking times and heat settings

Timings and settings vary for the type of dish or cut of meat you are using, or how long you need your dish to cook for to fit in with your day: your slow cooker really can be used to suit your lifestyle and pace.

The LOW setting essentially suits smaller cuts of meat and dishes with ingredients that need gentle cooking. The low setting will eventually reach the same temperature as HIGH, but just take a much longer time to do so.

LOW is good for:

• Diced meats, chicken joints, chops and cutlets

• Soups

• Bain marie method of cooking

• Fish or vegetable casseroles and curries

The HIGH setting can be used in a variety of ways, e.g. cooking large pieces of meat or if you want your dish to be cooked in a shorter time. As a rule, it will take half the time to cook a stew or casserole on HIGH than on the LOW setting. When thickening stews or casseroles, increase the temperature from LOW to HIGH, add your cornflour/cornstarch, and cook for a further 20 minutes.

HIGH is good for:

• Whole joints of meat or whole birds

• Steamed dishes or cakes and anything with a rising agent, such as dumplings

• Pâtés and terrines

• Soups

Some machines have an AUTO setting, which means the cooker starts off on HIGH then automatically turns itself down to LOW after a set time – this is great for giving